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Nomex Flyer jacket

jback

Familiar Face
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54
Location
Finland
I got bitten by the Nomex bug last weekend at an airshow. Result: I just ordered a CWU 45/P, navy issue in sage green :) Shold arrive in a week.

Jonathan
 

Doctor Damage

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jback said:
I got bitten by the Nomex bug last weekend at an airshow. Result: I just ordered a CWU 45/P, navy issue in sage green :) Shold arrive in a week.

Jonathan
Glad to hear that. Make sure to post more info once it arrives. Next, you'll need a 36/P jacket, which I find to be far more useful than the 45/P.
 

bn1966

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Definitely! The Bi-swings versions are rather nice too
 

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Doctor Damage

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Doctor Damage said:
Glad to hear that. Make sure to post more info once it arrives. Next, you'll need a 36/P jacket, which I find to be far more useful than the 45/P.
Sure! With the Finnish climate I think the 45/P will see more use :D
If Finland's climate is anything like Canada's, then you will find a 45/P to be sort of useless in serious cold. I wore one this past winter and found it's a spring, fall jacket only!
 

viper2015

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San Antonio
Hey guys, I have a bit of a mystery for you. I am currently active duty Air Force, and last month I was issued a CWU-36/P from official Equipment Issue. It's sage green, but it's like a burlap sack type of material. Really stiff and heavy. The tag says it's "100% Aramid" and made by Valley Supply, LLC. I asked the clerk if she gave me the wrong jacket, because I'm used to the shiny/silky Nomex, but she looked confused and said that's all there was. She pointed to the shelves which were full of the same jacket I had. I've searched around the Net but I can't find anything about the jacket style changing. Any ideas? Has anybody else seen this? Thanks for the help.
 

Treetopflyer

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Patuxent River, MD
I am active duty Navy and I turned in my old Nomex jacket four months ago because it ripped. The replacement I was given is the same type of jacket you have. I asked the same question about being the correct jacket. I was told that is what the new issued jackets look like now.
 
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Doctor Damage

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I've been working on a buyer's guide to these jackets for regular joes and this is interesting info. What's the date on these new jackets with the strange cloth? Look on the tag for a two-digit number right before a single letter. That's the year. See below.

45p_valley_2010_Copy.jpg
 

viper2015

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Doctor Damage

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The number is SPM1C1-10-D-1034. Looks like the same year. Can't quite figure out how to post a pic on here. Here's a link.

http://1drv.ms/1SINrlh

I also found this while messing around last night. It's solicitation from the Air Force written in 2011 to find a new material for flight jackets. Perhaps the traditional shiny Nomex has been replaced with something newer and cheaper. :(

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=d37619bbc0afa97fd9549be91670c70b&tab=core&_cview=0
Thanks very much for the photos -- with patches too!

Your jacket's matte finish resembles what I've seen in photos on Cockpit and Alpha's websites, but I had thought it was just a trick of digital cameras, which are notoriously inconsistent when it comes to photographing shiny finishes. I bet the military and/or suppliers have sourced a different cloth, probably to save costs. These jackets are not cheap! The new gore-tex 106/P jackets are even more expensive, although those have not been widely issued (can you current service guys comment?). On a related note, the USN "shipboard" non-flyers jackets (Treetopflyer?) are made of navy blue nomex with a matte finish and seem to be made of a heavier cloth, so I think we can assume that Dupont or whoever has come up with a new aramid cloth and it's being used for all US military nomex garments. From what I can tell from photos, the USAF flight suits have had a matte finish for a long time.

By the way, do you have any anecdotes about wearing nomex jackets? I could use some real-world comments from service people who've worn them. When do you wear them, how do they perform, do you like them or hate them, etc.
 

jback

Familiar Face
Messages
54
Location
Finland
If Finland's climate is anything like Canada's, then you will find a 45/P to be sort of useless in serious cold. I wore one this past winter and found it's a spring, fall jacket only!
Yep, spring, fall and ****ty summer days. I went to an airshow in the beginnig of June. The first day I almost froze my ****s of. For the second day I wore woolen long underwear and a thick military type wool sweater under my A-2. A B-3 + t-shirt would also have been ok. In June!!!
 

Treetopflyer

Practically Family
Messages
674
Location
Patuxent River, MD
On a related note, the USN "shipboard" non-flyers jackets (Treetopflyer?) are made of navy blue nomex with a matte finish and seem to be made of a heavier cloth, so I think we can assume that Dupont or whoever has come up with a new aramid cloth and it's being used for all US military nomex garments.

I'm not sure which "shipboard non-flyers jackets" you are referring to (can you provide a picture?). I have never seen a navy blue nomex jacket worn in the U.S. Navy. We used to have a heavy cotton deck jacket that was typically green, but I have seen it in blue. However, that was over 15 years ago we stopped using them.
 

Doctor Damage

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Ontario
Doctor Damage said:
On a related note, the USN "shipboard" non-flyers jackets (Treetopflyer?) are made of navy blue nomex with a matte finish and seem to be made of a heavier cloth, so I think we can assume that Dupont or whoever has come up with a new aramid cloth and it's being used for all US military nomex garments.
I'm not sure which "shipboard non-flyers jackets" you are referring to (can you provide a picture?). I have never seen a navy blue nomex jacket worn in the U.S. Navy. We used to have a heavy cotton deck jacket that was typically green, but I have seen it in blue. However, that was over 15 years ago we stopped using them.
Here's a used one, but US Wings sells them new LINK.

 

jback

Familiar Face
Messages
54
Location
Finland
Make sure to post more info once it arrives.

The jacket came surprisingly fast and I got it yesterday. Here's a couple of fit pics





The warmth feels like I expected it to be. Not warm enough for really cold winter weather, but a good "in-between" jacket. It is made by Isratex but the stitching seems fine. The seller also told me he has seen a lot of Isratex jackets and has not come across bad stitching.

Jonathan
 

Doctor Damage

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Most excellent looking jacket, and excellent photos. I agree perfect fit too! What size is that?

Now you've got to find a vintage bi-swing Greenbrier 45/P, plus get a couple of 36/P summer jackets. I think you'll find the 36/P is an all-round great warm weather jacket. I love mine.

I might also suggest a 106/P, but before you buy let me know and I will advise on size.
 

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